Dr Tim Brooke-Taylor, Hon LLD 1983

Alumni Relations
Friday 24 April 2020

Alumni will be sad to hear of the recent death of Tim Brooke-Taylor – former Rector, honorary graduate and comedy legend.

Tim served as University Rector from 1979 to 1982, arriving by helicopter for his Rectorial Drag. His arrival is still fondly remembered as one of the most daring by any Rector. You can watch the drama unfold from the Library’s Special Collections.

Tim and fellow Cambridge graduates Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie were famous for creating the Goodies. The first episode was aired in 1970 and it ran for 10 years on BBC2 and a further two on London Weekend Television for ITV.

The Kitten Kong episode (featuring a cat toppling over the Post Office Tower in London) won the Silver Rose at Montreux in 1972.

In 1972 Tim joined the panel of Radio 4’s parody of panel games – I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue – where he became a regular fixture until his death.

In 2011, he and his fellow Goodies star Garden were appointed as OBEs for services to entertainment. Oddie, the third member of the trio, had been honoured eight years previously for his services to wildlife conservation.

Tim Brooke-Taylor was one of a group of writers and performers who changed the face of British TV and radio comedy, making programmes that have become classics of their time.

Tim took his role as Rector seriously and preparing for The Goodies had to be fitted in around Court meetings. He regarded St Andrews as ‘the happiest university’ he had been to.

Here are some comments posted on Facebook:

I was talking to my academic daughter yesterday, sharing our memories of Tim Brooke-Taylor who was Rector when we were at St Andrews. I was living in Chattan at the time, and we gave him a teddy bear with a saltire waistcoat – he loved it! It would be great to have some memories from other alumni.
Christine Lee (MA 1982) 

He always seemed very at ease in the role of Rector. I remember spending a very convivial time after a St Andrews Festival show in the Golf Hotel bar with no less than three Rectors – Tim, Frank Muir and Katherine Whitehorn – sadly no selfies in those days.  On another occasion he narrated the Carnival of the Animals accompanied by a student orchestra, at which I played the xylophone. Amazingly his father was born around 1880 …
Callum MacLeod (MA 1982)

I was between degrees when I met him on a weekend visit which included the pier walk – very pleased I managed to speak to him. Here’s the photograph:
Jane Ann Liston (MA 1978, BSc 1989)

He survived the Atholl meatballs so we got him a t-shirt which said “I’ve eaten Atholl meatballs and lived” for this rectorial drag. Also got him drunk in the Dunvegan. Great man. Will be sadly missed.
George Brown (BSc 1983)

and some photos of the drag from Jill Westwater (BSc 1982).


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